Medium to light garnet red. Very impressed for being ten years old. Nose is coated in brown sugar and more baking spices with a bit of anise and red berries. Quite a bit of acidity and lots of raisins. Medium to short finish. Drink if you have it.
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Surprisingly delicious! This likely benefited from a couple of years in the cellar. Though still fruity and flavourful, there was some smoke and pepper that provided balance to what may earlier have been a jammy or overly fruity zin. Overall, balanced wine with smooth tannins, and a nice medium-to-long finish that made for easy drinking. I recommend letting your bottle sit for a couple of years to really enjoy it.
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Definitely settling into an 88, always a pleasure to drink, not as full bodies as many Lodi natives but like Starbucks, it's consistent and won't let you down.. Not to mention the great name :-)
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A strong and berry filled aroma, quite a lot of oak and liquourice in the attack. The wine is missing a little bit to balance the rather strong alcohol. Feels a little bit unfocused.
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Very subtle aromas of black currant and cinnamon. Smooth with soft flavors and no sharp tannins. A nice wine that goes well with a mild South Indian curry. I would definitely recommend it.
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The '07 is particularly outstanding for the price. Strong peppery flavor. Nicely complex. Perfect balance of tanins. Ripe raspberry, cherry, vanilla. Extraordinary wine at this price point. Even better than the '05 & '06. Have had numerous wines for double or triple this price which don't drink this well.
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I just really like this wine, it never seems to disappoint. We just paired this oddly with a Chili Con Carne on a cold night and the peppery kick was fab.
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Great as always. For the price, an amazing wine. One of our staple wines. Always have some in the cellar. If you like strong, bold red wines at a good price, this is one to get. See previous reviews on other years' vintages for more detail.
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Very fruity nose, rich body, an array of fruits and vanilla on the palate, and a medium-length, sweet finish. Just too damn tasty to rate lower than a 90. This is really, really good for just $12 and one of those wines that I can't stop pouring more of after dinner is way over. I tried this wine about 9 months ago (not rated here), and I liked better today.
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** Inviting scents looking towards Sicily and oak.
***Ambitious noveau-style try, but not scoring AND at the same time avoiding to bring out the charms of Zin... Somewhat light. However quite enjoyable.
****Some of the scores here are outrageous - prudence is a virtue.
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This was lush and welcoming. Berries, vanilla, cherry pie and a bit of sizzle spice to keep it honest. Not over the top but not lacking in weight either. A nice solid middle Zinfandel that anyone can drink. It lacks only sophistication but it's solid for the dollar.
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At Boerne Wine Club tasting. Jammy zin. Notes of raisins, liquorice, and pepper on the nose. Bold palate with some intense sweetness, more raisins, and blackberries. Good concentration of flavors and decent finish with some hotness.
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Boerne Wine Club - Zinfandel (Scenic Loop Cafe, San Antonio, TX): Some heat on the nose with currants and a slight pepper note. Ripe dark fruit palate with some rich toast flavors. Slightly clipped and simple finish. Doesn’t have the complexity of the other Zins and suffers in comparison, but an enjoyable wine.
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Discovering Wine: 7 Deadly Zins is a deep ruby wine with a medium body. The nose has leather, earth, oak and a hint of vanilla. In the mouth, this is a fruit bomb, with tastes of plum, blackberry pie, a hint of licorice and a peppery spiciness. The texture is typical of many Lodi zinfandels, smooth and soft. The finish is short to medium with blackberry, pepper and oak. Really nice rich fruit from the 80 year old vines.
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Nose was similar both days, has concentrated red fruit, vanilla, pipe tobacco and cedar notes, alcohol apparent on day 1.
Day one the acidity and alcohol dominated the palate, along with some cedar notes on the back palate. Day 2 they became more balanced and the fruit was more apparent, along with some cedar and vanilla. Okay for the price, not as good as the '06.
It's interesting to note the individual scores for this wine are all over the place. I found the average to be right on the money.
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Popped and poured ... A Classic California Zin profile with an unusually small price tag. Deep ruby color with some fruit and a spicy finish. Very clean and smooth, though definitely lacks complexity and backbone. Easy drinker. All in all, not amazing, but the best Zin I've had at this price point ($12/bottle), by quite a bit. Good value in an everyday drinker sort of wine.
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Dark red. Resinous nose. Downright sappy, with some black current poking through. Alcohol. Spices, blackberry and tobacco on the palate. A little medicinal. Smooth tannins.
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Surprisingly, I preferred the 06. While well made, this Zin lacked character: it may just have too much oak and be picked too ripe to transmit any sense of varietal or place. Good for the money, but not great, as had been my expectation.
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The nose and front-end fruit and floral on this was pleasant, not over-the-top, but expressive enough so that you looked forward to seeing what else this wine offered. The mid-palate was the weakest part of the wine, with no exceptional character, but I didn't expect much as I drink Zin for the subtle nose, front-end fruit and love the spicy/peppery finish. This wine did not disappoint. After trying a number of Zins priced between $12-20 and generally being disappointed, I finally have one that I would look forward to drinking. The good news is that this can be found everywhere.
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I almost didn't rate this wine, as I see scores all over the place. I wonder if they have some variation within the vintage. I found it fruity w/ high EtOH and an over-ripe aroma. Mellowed to more drinkable over the next day. For $7.99 some may consider it a value, but I will keep looking.
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Quite purple in color, aromas of cedar, spice, dark fruit. Enjoyable but needs to be a little cheaper...won't buy again for this price. Let decant for one hour.
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Lots of cedar (almost like you're in a sauna) and sweet red fruit, along with a touch of spicy pepper. A decent table red, but after more than one glass, it becomes a bit too sweet. Good with food though.
86/87
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Left open 30 min, opaque ruby color, slight vanilla and pepper nose, medium body with light tannins, short finish, nothing spectacular, simple zin that most will enjoy, might improve if paired with food, would drink again but probably won't repurchase at $17.
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Deep, opaque purple appearance. A peppery nose with cherries, clove and vanilla and a touch of jerky. I get tons of vanilla with red fruit and a bit of spice. The tannins are nice which makes up for the extracted flavors.
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A light black berry flavor with moderate tannens with a greater part of vanilla-ish oak (just shy of too much). This covers up the flavor of the grapes, which are supposedly old vine and more flavorful. Very dry, with a nice oaky finish. Bold enough to be good with hard cheeses
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Huge cedar and smoke aromas on opening, but these calmed down after 3 hours of decanting. Still, cedar, smoke, raspberries, cherries and red plums on the nose, carrying through into the flavors, joined by spicy black pepper. Modest tannins and decent finish, but a little too sweet for my palate. Nonetheless, went perfectly with grilled Mediterranean herb-Dijon mustard encrusted lamb chops, and the wine was indeed a crowd pleaser, as noted in previous notes.
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Dry with strong pepper and currant flavors. It was smooth by itself but became a little acidic after pairing with sherried beef. Decanted 1 hour before drinking.
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Parker missed it on this one. Not a very complex or even a very well structured wine. some spice and dark black fruit, but not really impressive. medium finish. too laid for a zin for me.
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Aroma of Oak and plums. Opened the bottle had a glass and it was a touch "Hot" had another the next day and it was much smoother without so much spice. Great wine for parties for the price. I would suggest it decant for an hour or so before serving to make it more enjoyable
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fruit forward but overextracted. spicy finish. certainly cant be accused of being whimpy, and while i can see the allure, I dont think i would want a second glass.
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Really nice, a really spicey Zin that would sure be a crowd pleaser - Dark red, medium/full bodied with a nose of intense plum, brambly black fruit, spice and vanilla it was nicely balanced, a touch 'hot' (14.5% really?), nicely structured and most importantly really tasty, sweet on the palate with really good length, a nice treat (88 Points).
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Sickly sweet, over-extracted wine with low acidity. Roasted, prune-y fruit that is simply way over the top. Sometimes I need a data point to remind me why these wines are not to my liking. I think I'm good for the next year or so. Gross. I think a (very) low 80s score would be generous.
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Tastes of sweet plums and pepper dominate the nose, while flavors of blueberry, raspberry, cinnamon, and black pepper pack the palate from start to finish. Silky-smooth tannins hold the wine together and deliver a soft, fruit driven experience. Very nice! Cheers!
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The theme of the notes from other reviewers capture it well. Quite similar to the '06 to my recollection. P&P. Very dark purply black in the glass, full+ body clings to the glass in port-like fashion. Nose of warm blackberry preserves, vanilla, baking spice. Fairly intense sweet black seed fruits on the tongue front to back, some noticeable boozy alcohol in the mid, and a ladle of blackberry and black cherry jam in the finish. Acid low, tannins very soft. Enjoyable if you're in the mood for a sweet Zin slurper or for pouring it over ice cream.
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Very jammy and very sweet and thick. A decent Zin, but didn't have a lot of finesse. Cherry, Dark fruit on the nose, jammy, jammy, jammy. Long finish, but a bit heavy as it lingered. Did I say jammy?
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Lots of cherry, some tannin and strong legs so a bit hot. Usually really like this one but tonight not quite hitting the spot and I'm feeling it is a bit sweet. On the other hand I've got a scratchy throat and a stuffed up nose so my taste buds are probably off.
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Inviting nose of spicy raspberry. Ample flavors of raspberry, blackberry, spice, and a strange flavor on the finish that I can only identify as "plastic-like." The flavor intensity doesn't come near to matching the nose. Balance is pretty good, but the finish is short.
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9/1/2017 - redz wrote: 89 Points
Found neglected in my cellar. Aging has been good, fairly mellowed, but still has some tannins and more time.
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4/30/2017 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 80 Points
Medium to light garnet red. Very impressed for being ten years old. Nose is coated in brown sugar and more baking spices with a bit of anise and red berries. Quite a bit of acidity and lots of raisins. Medium to short finish. Drink if you have it.
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7/15/2014 - donash.com wrote: 87 Points
- Ruby color.
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10/12/2013 - donash.com wrote: 88 Points
A really nice everyday wine for the price.
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9/7/2013 - donash.com wrote: 87 Points
- Ruby color.
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12/1/2012 - Vinvinon Likes this wine: 89 Points
Surprisingly delicious! This likely benefited from a couple of years in the cellar. Though still fruity and flavourful, there was some smoke and pepper that provided balance to what may earlier have been a jammy or overly fruity zin. Overall, balanced wine with smooth tannins, and a nice medium-to-long finish that made for easy drinking. I recommend letting your bottle sit for a couple of years to really enjoy it.
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9/24/2012 - kenhud wrote: 85 Points
Fruity and peppery. Warm and somewhat mineral. Beautiful dark reddish purple color with fruity nose. Not real big in the mouth.
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8/10/2012 - mosportcorner2 wrote: 90 Points
I opened my 2007 and it was outstanding!
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4/21/2012 - cab blends wrote: 87 Points
Blind home wine tasting with MOT Scoring sheet - Zins with Cab & Tempranillo: Dark red with a delicious caramel nose - very enticing and reminded me of the great Australian Velvet Glove Shiraz nose. Unfortunately the body does not live up to the introduction and is average.
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1/19/2012 - Joegish Likes this wine: 88 Points
Far exceeded my expectations. Was actually rather delicious and I would definitely buy again versus some zins at much loftier prices. Very jammy.
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1/6/2012 - pts wrote: 85 Points
Daily wine for the table nothing special
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11/28/2011 - suburbanfrog wrote: 86 Points
Nice fruit and pleasant to drink.
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11/27/2011 - Guyc wrote: 88 Points
Definitely settling into an 88, always a pleasure to drink, not as full bodies as many Lodi natives but like Starbucks, it's consistent and won't let you down.. Not to mention the great name :-)
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10/16/2011 - anaugle wrote: 82 Points
Sweet on the front-end, turning to sour on the back.
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10/4/2011 - SJchris wrote:
This bottle was a little past its prime. Lots of plum and raisin.
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9/10/2011 - kreuter wrote:
Excellent
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9/3/2011 - hubas wrote: 84 Points
A strong and berry filled aroma, quite a lot of oak and liquourice in the attack. The wine is missing a little bit to balance the rather strong alcohol. Feels a little bit unfocused.
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7/30/2011 - kmicho wrote: 89 Points
Has grown great with age. Too bad we don't have a few more bottles of the 2007 because it just keeps getting better.
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6/5/2011 - whdigital wrote: 84 Points
One of my all time favorites for the $!
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5/6/2011 - ckeilah wrote: 88 Points
Musky peppery nose. Big sweet cherry vanilla fruit bomb. Intense. Maybe too much so.... :-o
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4/23/2011 - MSMendis wrote: 86 Points
Very subtle aromas of black currant and cinnamon. Smooth with soft flavors and no sharp tannins. A nice wine that goes well with a mild South Indian curry. I would definitely recommend it.
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3/12/2011 - Nkraemer wrote: 88 Points
Cherry & blackberry. Bold fruit - spicy. Paired well with tangy beef brisket. Would definitely buy again.
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3/2/2011 - kmicho wrote: 91 Points
The '07 is particularly outstanding for the price. Strong peppery flavor. Nicely complex. Perfect balance of tanins. Ripe raspberry, cherry, vanilla. Extraordinary wine at this price point. Even better than the '05 & '06. Have had numerous wines for double or triple this price which don't drink this well.
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2/18/2011 - WineBarrique wrote: 88 Points
Great value - a favorite
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1/29/2011 - Guyc wrote: 90 Points
I just really like this wine, it never seems to disappoint. We just paired this oddly with a Chili Con Carne on a cold night and the peppery kick was fab.
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1/19/2011 - texaswino wrote: 90 Points
big bold rich extracted and totally delicious...lol. Not a complicated wine but tasty and enjoyable. For the price its hard to beat.
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1/15/2011 - kmicho wrote: 88 Points
Great as always. For the price, an amazing wine. One of our staple wines. Always have some in the cellar. If you like strong, bold red wines at a good price, this is one to get. See previous reviews on other years' vintages for more detail.
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1/13/2011 - Decanthor wrote: 90 Points
Very fruity nose, rich body, an array of fruits and vanilla on the palate, and a medium-length, sweet finish. Just too damn tasty to rate lower than a 90. This is really, really good for just $12 and one of those wines that I can't stop pouring more of after dinner is way over. I tried this wine about 9 months ago (not rated here), and I liked better today.
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1/3/2011 - kmicho Likes this wine: 88 Points
Always a very good staple wine in this price range. Very flavorful for what you pay. Relatively complex. Strong, good tanin balance.
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1/1/2011 - PMcgovern wrote: 88 Points
Decent wine for the price point, a good house wine.
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12/30/2010 - vinodolphin wrote: 89 Points
My last bottle. Served us well as an everyday drink.
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12/28/2010 - StefanAkiko wrote: 85 Points
* Deep red
** Inviting scents looking towards Sicily and oak.
***Ambitious noveau-style try, but not scoring AND at the same time avoiding to bring out the charms of Zin... Somewhat light. However quite enjoyable.
****Some of the scores here are outrageous - prudence is a virtue.
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12/23/2010 - Sekocellar wrote: 89 Points
consistanly solid
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12/19/2010 - Tribal Nole wrote: 88 Points
Bold fruit up front and finishes with a nice spice. Very good QPR.
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12/1/2010 - biggwater wrote: 88 Points
fruit driven, drink er quaf now
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11/26/2010 - jbriley wrote:
Thanksgiving
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11/25/2010 - ctjared wrote:
Love this zin. Very fruity, balanced. Have to get more of this.
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11/8/2010 - dssinger wrote: 84 Points
blah.
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11/8/2010 - dusk Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was lush and welcoming. Berries, vanilla, cherry pie and a bit of sizzle spice to keep it honest. Not over the top but not lacking in weight either. A nice solid middle Zinfandel that anyone can drink. It lacks only sophistication but it's solid for the dollar.
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11/3/2010 - twinmaple wrote: 85 Points
Pleasant enough... Maybe a bit too smooth and nondescript for a true zin, but went well with pizza...
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10/31/2010 - jjlobi wrote: 82 Points
Not a fan of this Zin. Didn't sync with the flavor, reminded me of a cough syrup. I think it's over rated.
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10/21/2010 - jeremy_ross Likes this wine: 86 Points
Lots of dense fruit, spice, moderate oak, hint of caramel+chocolate on finish.
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10/19/2010 - ldspmhc wrote: 79 Points
Don't care for it. Unbalanced, over oaked fruit bomb
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10/16/2010 - verschell wrote: 87 Points
A pleasant, if not mind-blowing Zin. Very consistent year to year, and a bargain at $13. Drinks well with beef, although there are better with BBQ.
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10/13/2010 - Fluffyruffles wrote:
Rich & peppery
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10/10/2010 - macker100 wrote: 86 Points
At Boerne Wine Club tasting. Jammy zin. Notes of raisins, liquorice, and pepper on the nose. Bold palate with some intense sweetness, more raisins, and blackberries. Good concentration of flavors and decent finish with some hotness.
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10/10/2010 - Nutty08 wrote: 86 Points
Boerne Wine Club - Zinfandel (Scenic Loop Cafe, San Antonio, TX): Some heat on the nose with currants and a slight pepper note. Ripe dark fruit palate with some rich toast flavors. Slightly clipped and simple finish. Doesn’t have the complexity of the other Zins and suffers in comparison, but an enjoyable wine.
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10/9/2010 - TinaLazaruk wrote: 85 Points
Eunice says 7/10
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10/4/2010 - The Kokopelli wrote: 88 Points
Discovering Wine: 7 Deadly Zins is a deep ruby wine with a medium body. The nose has leather, earth, oak and a hint of vanilla. In the mouth, this is a fruit bomb, with tastes of plum, blackberry pie, a hint of licorice and a peppery spiciness. The texture is typical of many Lodi zinfandels, smooth and soft. The finish is short to medium with blackberry, pepper and oak. Really nice rich fruit from the 80 year old vines.
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9/30/2010 - eldiabloazul wrote: 80 Points
Not such a great value at 14 bones. Skip it. Too much Lodi sunny raisins to be interesting. Will not buy again.
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9/1/2010 - bin905 wrote: 87 Points
Pleasant, balanced, easy drinker. Nice food wine.
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8/10/2010 - tanji wrote: 86 Points
Perfect with Chili Sauce Meat Loaf
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8/7/2010 - CorkPullerUpSC wrote: 85 Points
I can't believe I paid $17.99 for a bottle I usualy pay $10 something for!
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8/5/2010 - mfmarozas wrote: 85 Points
An easy drinker, but lacks any interesting character. Slightly sweet on the finish.
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8/3/2010 - FredF wrote: 85 Points
Very Zinny! Always good, never great.
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7/30/2010 - NoMaam45 wrote: 90 Points
Big, bold fruit with a hint of vanilla taste. Smooth with a bit of bite - one of my favorites and inexpensive - a great zin!
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7/18/2010 - corkscrews wrote: 88 Points
A nose of dark fruit and spice, dark amber in color. A full bodied, fun drinking Zin, pepper, blackberry, spicy, a great value.
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7/14/2010 - Eckerman wrote: 85 Points
Meh. Costco cheepo. Don't buy.
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7/14/2010 - hubas wrote: 91 Points
My favorit zin at the moment. Everything is amazing with this quite spicy wine. Has a very deep dark taste with some berries.
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7/5/2010 - Jaram wrote: 86 Points
Great for the price.
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7/5/2010 - Jaram wrote: 86 Points
I was surprised by this Zin. It is good.
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6/30/2010 - pekuper wrote: 74 Points
Poor finish. Needs food. Powerful nose.
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6/28/2010 - JoshA wrote: 83 Points
Big dark cherry fruit and grapes. Too hot with alcohol. Some mocha and tannins also.
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6/26/2010 - jfisher Likes this wine: 86 Points
this is my goto wine. smooth, fragrent, fruit forward, and cheap.
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6/14/2010 - lutorm wrote: 80 Points
First impression was of yeast. Pretty nice.
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6/6/2010 - brythephotoguy wrote: 86 Points
Drank over 2 days.
Nose was similar both days, has concentrated red fruit, vanilla, pipe tobacco and cedar notes, alcohol apparent on day 1.
Day one the acidity and alcohol dominated the palate, along with some cedar notes on the back palate. Day 2 they became more balanced and the fruit was more apparent, along with some cedar and vanilla. Okay for the price, not as good as the '06.
It's interesting to note the individual scores for this wine are all over the place. I found the average to be right on the money.
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5/30/2010 - greekwineaux wrote: 70 Points
I'd rather have a Coke.
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5/25/2010 - slouie18 wrote:
Drank with Nonnie. Very nice Zin.
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5/22/2010 - djs wrote: 85 Points
Low acid, no character, very fake
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5/17/2010 - mattluttrell wrote: 93 Points
Fr. Roger introduced me to this one!
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5/11/2010 - vinodolphin wrote: 90 Points
Solid Zin with great fruit tannin and dark chocolate undertones.
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5/4/2010 - bzukaitis wrote: 86 Points
Never dissappoints... especially for the price!
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5/4/2010 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 87 Points
Popped and poured ... A Classic California Zin profile with an unusually small price tag. Deep ruby color with some fruit and a spicy finish. Very clean and smooth, though definitely lacks complexity and backbone. Easy drinker. All in all, not amazing, but the best Zin I've had at this price point ($12/bottle), by quite a bit. Good value in an everyday drinker sort of wine.
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4/29/2010 - arsucato@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Warm
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4/26/2010 - dssinger wrote: 88 Points
Berries; smooth!
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4/24/2010 - CorkPullerUpSC wrote: 82 Points
Heavy berry, not too bad, not overly sweet. I'd buy it again.
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4/23/2010 - czar33 wrote: 87 Points
Very fruit forward, really intense nose with lots of strawberries and other red fruits, enticing and fun to drink.
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4/6/2010 - Winekrupt wrote: 85 Points
Dark red. Resinous nose. Downright sappy, with some black current poking through. Alcohol. Spices, blackberry and tobacco on the palate. A little medicinal. Smooth tannins.
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4/4/2010 - BGDavid wrote: 83 Points
Good Zin with strong fruit but not over heavy
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3/28/2010 - Minden wrote: 83 Points
Peppery start. Berry tastes great with pork or lamb
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3/22/2010 - Stirling wrote: 88 Points
Surprisingly, I preferred the 06. While well made, this Zin lacked character: it may just have too much oak and be picked too ripe to transmit any sense of varietal or place. Good for the money, but not great, as had been my expectation.
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3/18/2010 - dougdell wrote: 88 Points
Have enjoyed this a few times now; a tasty, very new-world blend with plenty of fruit, some zing, not much complexity.
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3/14/2010 - laxman wrote: 90 Points
The nose and front-end fruit and floral on this was pleasant, not over-the-top, but expressive enough so that you looked forward to seeing what else this wine offered. The mid-palate was the weakest part of the wine, with no exceptional character, but I didn't expect much as I drink Zin for the subtle nose, front-end fruit and love the spicy/peppery finish. This wine did not disappoint. After trying a number of Zins priced between $12-20 and generally being disappointed, I finally have one that I would look forward to drinking. The good news is that this can be found everywhere.
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3/10/2010 - ericeuell wrote: 87 Points
Great w Thai.
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3/6/2010 - bcmatthias wrote: 86 Points
Fine, very oaky.
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2/27/2010 - nick_pivonka wrote: 80 Points
I almost didn't rate this wine, as I see scores all over the place. I wonder if they have some variation within the vintage. I found it fruity w/ high EtOH and an over-ripe aroma. Mellowed to more drinkable over the next day. For $7.99 some may consider it a value, but I will keep looking.
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2/26/2010 - sandyloveswinetoo wrote: 85 Points
Quite purple in color, aromas of cedar, spice, dark fruit. Enjoyable but needs to be a little cheaper...won't buy again for this price. Let decant for one hour.
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2/25/2010 - behm0027 wrote: 86 Points
Lots of cedar (almost like you're in a sauna) and sweet red fruit, along with a touch of spicy pepper. A decent table red, but after more than one glass, it becomes a bit too sweet. Good with food though.
86/87
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2/19/2010 - LisaA wrote: 87 Points
Bold berry nose with pine (?); almost understated tannins, big cherry and plum with clove/peppery undertone
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2/13/2010 - RedValues wrote: 84 Points
Left open 30 min, opaque ruby color, slight vanilla and pepper nose, medium body with light tannins, short finish, nothing spectacular, simple zin that most will enjoy, might improve if paired with food, would drink again but probably won't repurchase at $17.
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2/11/2010 - awinejourney wrote: 87 Points
Deep, opaque purple appearance. A peppery nose with cherries, clove and vanilla and a touch of jerky. I get tons of vanilla with red fruit and a bit of spice. The tannins are nice which makes up for the extracted flavors.
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2/9/2010 - Mr.Grimm wrote: 93 Points
A light black berry flavor with moderate tannens with a greater part of vanilla-ish oak (just shy of too much). This covers up the flavor of the grapes, which are supposedly old vine and more flavorful. Very dry, with a nice oaky finish. Bold enough to be good with hard cheeses
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2/7/2010 - jazzb wrote:
Mint, björnbärssaft, syltig och jordig, kokta grönsaker, ek, eukalyptus och en efterhängsen doft av kartong - smygkork?
6.5p
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2/2/2010 - afitzhugh wrote: 90 Points
Not super complex, but wonderful smoke, plenty of fruit, and very smooth. Down right yummy.
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1/17/2010 - cabrnay wrote: 86 Points
Average bar wine
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1/11/2010 - cjsadler wrote: 86 Points
A fruit bomb, but after sitting for awhile calms down a bit, is less cloying, and fairly pleasant.
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1/6/2010 - Mttwllr wrote: 84 Points
Lots of spice and Ginger. Wouldnt buy again.
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12/27/2009 - SadEdjo wrote: 86 Points
Hot vanilla, marzapan nose with a subtle hint of dill & cedar. Sweet entry, mid weight, clean but somewhat one dimensional.
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12/22/2009 - wahoo70 wrote: 87 Points
Huge cedar and smoke aromas on opening, but these calmed down after 3 hours of decanting. Still, cedar, smoke, raspberries, cherries and red plums on the nose, carrying through into the flavors, joined by spicy black pepper. Modest tannins and decent finish, but a little too sweet for my palate. Nonetheless, went perfectly with grilled Mediterranean herb-Dijon mustard encrusted lamb chops, and the wine was indeed a crowd pleaser, as noted in previous notes.
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12/15/2009 - acintheoc wrote: 80 Points
Strong cherry cough syrup flavor probably due to high alcohol content 14.50%. Not impressed with this vintage.
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12/14/2009 - duckyfufu wrote: 87 Points
Always reliable. Good spice and fruit, good mouthfeel.
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12/13/2009 - belly917 wrote: 88 Points
Dry with strong pepper and currant flavors. It was smooth by itself but became a little acidic after pairing with sherried beef. Decanted 1 hour before drinking.
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12/5/2009 - yipen wrote:
quite sweet compare to Turley. but not too bad 14.5%.
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11/26/2009 - pmk wrote: 88 Points
consistent with earlier note.
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11/26/2009 - pmk wrote: 88 Points
Parker missed it on this one. Not a very complex or even a very well structured wine. some spice and dark black fruit, but not really impressive. medium finish. too laid for a zin for me.
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11/24/2009 - jamiebarger wrote: 82 Points
Not bad. Surprisingly better two days later, so I'd recommend a good decant before drinking
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11/17/2009 - jimpem wrote: 86 Points
Aroma of Oak and plums. Opened the bottle had a glass and it was a touch "Hot" had another the next day and it was much smoother without so much spice. Great wine for parties for the price. I would suggest it decant for an hour or so before serving to make it more enjoyable
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11/14/2009 - soyhead wrote: 85 Points
fruit forward but overextracted. spicy finish. certainly cant be accused of being whimpy, and while i can see the allure, I dont think i would want a second glass.
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11/1/2009 - Tarrant wrote: 88 Points
Really nice, a really spicey Zin that would sure be a crowd pleaser - Dark red, medium/full bodied with a nose of intense plum, brambly black fruit, spice and vanilla it was nicely balanced, a touch 'hot' (14.5% really?), nicely structured and most importantly really tasty, sweet on the palate with really good length, a nice treat (88 Points).
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10/26/2009 - sloroag wrote: 86 Points
Pretty decent
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10/23/2009 - futronic wrote:
Sickly sweet, over-extracted wine with low acidity. Roasted, prune-y fruit that is simply way over the top. Sometimes I need a data point to remind me why these wines are not to my liking. I think I'm good for the next year or so. Gross. I think a (very) low 80s score would be generous.
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10/12/2009 - Patton wrote: 87 Points
Tastes of sweet plums and pepper dominate the nose, while flavors of blueberry, raspberry, cinnamon, and black pepper pack the palate from start to finish. Silky-smooth tannins hold the wine together and deliver a soft, fruit driven experience. Very nice! Cheers!
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10/10/2009 - MightyMike wrote: 86 Points
Dark red, juicy flavour and palate, too much raisins/bitter, medium finish - ordinary Zin.
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9/16/2009 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 60 Points
R&R Marketing 2009 Gala (Atlantic City, NJ): OAK.
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8/17/2009 - collinb227 wrote: 87 Points
very tasty!
but lacked any thing to make it stand out.
get it for a crowd, it will make them happy
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8/7/2009 - BillyT wrote: 85 Points
Not pleasant at all. No fruit or complexity. Just pepper and spice. No structure.
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7/1/2009 - Vinacull wrote: 85 Points
The theme of the notes from other reviewers capture it well. Quite similar to the '06 to my recollection. P&P. Very dark purply black in the glass, full+ body clings to the glass in port-like fashion. Nose of warm blackberry preserves, vanilla, baking spice. Fairly intense sweet black seed fruits on the tongue front to back, some noticeable boozy alcohol in the mid, and a ladle of blackberry and black cherry jam in the finish. Acid low, tannins very soft. Enjoyable if you're in the mood for a sweet Zin slurper or for pouring it over ice cream.
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6/9/2009 - chanote44 wrote: 86 Points
Sweet and fruity but overall an enjoyable soft zin. Would be good with desert as it is almost portlike.
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5/25/2009 - smidler wrote: 85 Points
Very jammy and very sweet and thick. A decent Zin, but didn't have a lot of finesse. Cherry, Dark fruit on the nose, jammy, jammy, jammy. Long finish, but a bit heavy as it lingered. Did I say jammy?
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5/9/2009 - Jezza wrote: 85 Points
Lots of cherry, some tannin and strong legs so a bit hot. Usually really like this one but tonight not quite hitting the spot and I'm feeling it is a bit sweet. On the other hand I've got a scratchy throat and a stuffed up nose so my taste buds are probably off.
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5/6/2009 - THaas wrote: 83 Points
Inviting nose of spicy raspberry. Ample flavors of raspberry, blackberry, spice, and a strange flavor on the finish that I can only identify as "plastic-like." The flavor intensity doesn't come near to matching the nose. Balance is pretty good, but the finish is short.
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